Elder Care by Family « Elder Care

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Articles About Elder Care By Family

• Becoming 'Parent of Your Parent' an Emotionally Wrenching Process (USA Today)
  A series of articles exploring this sensitive subject. See links in left-hand column under "Week-Long Series."
• Caregiver Stress: Would you Like Some Angst With That Sandwich Generation? (Psychology Today – 4/12/09)
  Despite 2,000,000 residents in 18,000 nursing homes, most caregiving for the frail, confused, elderly is given by family members–people who are trying to lead their own lives, pursue their own careers, and care for their own children.
  Patti's Comment: This is a great article with good supports listed for folks that are caregivers!
• Caregiving Stress – Hazardous to Your Health and Sometimes Deadly (Nat'l Care Planning Council – 11/11/07)
  A 2003 study of caregivers by a research team at Ohio State University has proven the off-repeated adage "stress can kill you" is true.
• Claiming a Parent as a Dependent (New York Times – 8/18/10)
  Can you claim your mother as a dependent for income tax purposes if she lives with you? The answer is, it depends. There’s a five-step test to determine whether a child can claim a parent as a dependent.
• Compensating a Family Caregiver (Wall Street Journal – 8/29/10)
  Given the still-fragile economy, a growing number of families are compensating relatives who serve as caregivers to elders, elder-law attorneys say. But to avoid stoking family tensions or running afoul of Medicaid eligibility requirements, it's important to draft a formal employment agreement–and disclose the arrangement to the entire family.
• Compensating Caregivers (Financial Advisor – 11/10)
  America’s 78 million baby boomers will begin turning 65 next year at a rate of one every 10 seconds. These are the best-educated, richest and healthiest seniors the country has ever seen, but they’re still aging. Anecdotal evidence suggests an increasing number of family caregivers are getting paid for their efforts — which is natural given the aging population and the high unemployment rate. And as most financial advisors know, when you mix money with family dependency, things can get tangled.
• Deducting Care of the Elderly (Elder Care ABC Blog)
  As a society, we are growing older. This means many more people must care for the elderly in their family. Fortunately, some of the expense associated with the care is deductible.
• Discrimination Suits by Family Caregivers on the Rise (Elder Law Prof Blog – Oct. 25, 2007)
  As the number of employees with elder and child care demands grows, more workers are filing lawsuits claiming they've been discriminated against on the job because of their family caregiving obligations.
• Handle with Care (The Bend Bulletin – 3/27/09)
  Aging parents have long relied on their adult children to care for them. But something has shifted. Baby boomers are caring for their parents in staggering numbers.
• Managing Caregiver Stress (Aging In Action – 1/30/12)
  Although meaningful and gratifying, caring for others isn’t easy.  Over time, it can take a toll on body and mind, heart and soul; on personal finances, family relationships and work life.  It can erode your immune system and increase susceptibility to disease, depression or hospitalization. Approximately  20- 30% of family caregivers suffer from mood disturbances and use prescription drugs for depression, anxiety, and insomnia two to three times as often as the general population. If you’re a caregiver, preserve your health and capacity to care by managing your stress.
• One of Those Days (The New Old Age)
  If you find elder care a daily source of fulfillment, a gift that draws you ever closer to your aging parent, a continuing privilege — well, you can stop reading now.
• Personal Care Contracts (Elder & Disability Law Firm)
  Millions of Americans are currently caring for an elderly family member or friend, without receiving compensation. Depending on the circumstances, however, it may actually be beneficial for both parties to enter into a care contract wherein the caregiver accepts payment for the care they are providing their loved one and also formally assumes responsibility for that care. To see drafts of two such contracts, click on: Personal Care Contract and Personal Service Contract.
• Providing Care for an Aging Parent? Consider a Family Agreement (Daily Local News – 1/19/09)
  Sometimes family members caring for an aging and physically disabled relative lose track of the fact that they need care themselves at times. They may also never have thought of whether the services they provide should be compensated.
• Real Life in Your 60s: Help an Elderly Parent Without Going Broke (CBS.com)
  A story about the Hoffas family and the growing number of people facing the same challenge: the Sandwich Generation. Not only are they raising children, but they are also caring for elderly parents.
• Relatives Can be Paid to Look After Elderly (Wall Street Journal – 1/14/09)
  Patti's Comment: This is a great article, and includes quotes from friends!! Keep in mind that caregiver agreements can also be used with Medicaid via the self-determination model, and Trustees of special needs trusts can enter into these arrangements as well. It is also important to make sure there is appropriate insurance in place so if the caregiver is injured while providing care there is not a big problem – we spend lots of time making sure that if there is not workers compensation in place, there is adequate protection via homeowners insurance or some other risk management plan is in place.
• Solving the Caregiving Puzzle (Wall Street Journal – 11/17/08)
  How individuals and communities across the country are changing the ways we will care for each other in later life.
• Taking Care of Parents also Means Taking Care of Finances (NY Times – 9/18/09)
  With all of the overwhelming emotional and medical aspects of caring for elderly parents, it’s natural to ignore the consequences of spending large amounts of money on them. But so often adult children end up ignoring their own savings and retirement accounts or, worse, go into debt, because they’re taking care of their parents, says Tim Casserly, a lawyer in Albany who specializes in issues of elderly care.
• When the Wrong Person is in Charge of an Aging Parent (Seattle Times – Feb. 11, 2008)
  Sometimes the most difficult burdens in eldercare aren't created by our parents but by other family members.

Publications About Elder Care By Family

• Assuring Healthy Caregivers (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
  Presents key questions and methods to help program developers, planners and evaluators use the framework in their work on caregiving.
• Caring for Elderly Parents (U.S. Dept. of State)
  How to care for elderly parents is a major concern of many Foreign Service families. The distance involved makes it harder to get information and help so contingency planning is essential.
• Essential Caregiver's Toolbox (Aging Pro)
  Everything you need to provide excellent care for your loved ones, and create peace of mind for yourself.
• Family Caregiving to the Older Population: Background, Federal Programs, and Issues for Congress
  Recognizing family caregivers as an important part of the nation's long-term care delivery system, the federal government has established programs that provide direct support to caregivers. Summary of legislation enacted in the 109th Congress to directly assist family caregivers to older adults.
• Financial Steps for Caregivers (Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement)
  "What you Need to Know About Money and Retirement" is designed to help identify financial decisions you may face as a caregiver.
• Home Safety: How Well Does Your Home Meet Your Needs? (AARP)
  A caregiving checklist.
• Medicare and Home Health Care
  The official government booklet about Medicare home health care benefits for people in the Original Medicare Plan.
• My Parents Can't Take Care of Themselves Anymore…Where Do I Turn? (The Care Navigator)
  This is a problem many of us face when our parents grow older. Unless you have experience with issues that result from aging or the health care system you will find the situation frustrating and very confusing.
• When Your Parent Moves In
  Every adult child's guide to living with an aging parent. Inviting your elderly parent to move in is a big decision that can affect every aspect of your family's life. This straightforward, supportive guide will walk you through the decisions and planning necessary to make it work.

Organizations and Resources About Elder Care By Family

• The financial strain of caring for older relatives can be devastating without proper planning. Here are some online resources for those who want to put the proper safeguards in place and for caregivers who may be looking for assistance:
• Aging Parents.com
  Aging parent solutions and answers to difficult problems.
• Aging Parents and Elder Care
  Helping people overcome the challenges of elder care.
• Caregiver Village
  Family caregivers are exhausted, stressed to the point of illness and frustrated by their isolation. Caregiver Village’s virtual village creates a close knit community where caregivers can discover a sense of deep personal satisfaction – and escape – from the hard, intense work of family caregiving; while simultaneously learning how to handle their stress and building online connections with people in exactly the same situation as them. For every person that joins Caregiver Village, they will donate $1 to that persons organization of choice. See page re Social Media.
• Caregiving.org – National Alliance for Caregiving, a nonprofit organization focusing on issues of family caregiving.
• Caring.com – A venture capital-funded site with information for caregivers and other resources.
• Children of Aging Parents – A nonprofit assisting caregivers of the elderly or chronically ill with information, referrals and support.
• Family Care Navigator
  This state-by-state resource is intended to help you locate government, nonprofit, and private programs in your area.
• Family Caregiver Alliance (National Center on Caregiving)
  A public voice for caregivers. Pioneering programs to support and sustain the important work of families nationwide caring for loved ones with chronic, disabling health conditions.
• Family Caregiving
  If you're caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled, this site was created for you. It's a great place to find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice — for you and your loved one
• Gerontology Network
  Their mission is to enhance the quality of life and promote the independence of older adults, their familes, and care providers.
• Gilbert Guide
  A comprehensive caregiver’s guide to supporting the elderly.
• Homeinstead.com – Resources for finding home care, becoming a caregiver and other elder care resources.
• Medicare.gov – Find out what Medicare does and doesn't cover, compare home health agencies and nursing homes in your area, plan for your long-term care needs and other information.
• MT Care Navigators
  A free referral service to help patients and family members "navigate" through the maze of healthcare choices and assist them in making the best decision for their specific medical situation.
• My Senior Care
  Support to families and their aging loved ones during a highly stressful time as they search for information, resources and providers of senior care.
• National Alliance for Caregiving
  Providing support to family caregivers and professionals who help them and increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregivers.
• National Assn. of Area Agencies on Aging – Providing information on aging and a nationwide list of local agencies to turn to for answers.
• National Assn. of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
  A professional Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) is a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives.
• National Caregivers Library
  An extensive library for caregivers with hundreds of articles, forms, checklists and links to resources, organized into categories.
• National Family Caregivers Association – Another group that educates and supports those who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability.
• National Respite Network
  Respite is temporary relief for caregivers and families who are caring for those with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, and the elderly.
• The CareGiver Partnership (blog)
  For family caregivers and those associated with caregiving. Helpful and timely information and resources across a range of the most sought after issues confronting each of us as caregivers.
• U.S. Department of State – A site on caring for elderly parents that is aimed at families posted abroad but gives very valuable general information and links.

Websites & Blogs About Elder Care By Family

• Caregivers of Adults and Older Adults (American Psychological Assn.)
  Links to resources related to caregiver issues.
• Caregiving.com
  Caring for an aging relative is hard. We know. We're here to help.
• Caring.com
  A new resource for advice and information for adults with aging parents. (A special thanks to Valerie Lafferty for sending it my way.)
• Caring Right at Home
  Information, Advice and Support for Adult Caregiving.
• Family Caregivers Briefcase  for Psychologists  (American Psychological Assn.)
  Offers 160 pages of information and resources for and about caregivers, to help psychologists and other health professionals working with family caregivers of aging parents, seriously ill children, and other family members.
• GrampsCare – Caring for the Elderly
  Caregiving and eldercare ideas and information – When you're caregiver for your elderly parents, grandparents,relatives or friends, especially in-home care – including health, family, legal, medical, and social issues. Here's info to help!
• Medication Use Safety Training for Seniors – A national education awareness campaign for older adults and caregivers.
• Minding our Elders – Carol Bradley Bursack
  A blog from the author of the book by the same name with support for caregivers.
• Right at Home
  This blog will share what you need to know about senior home care in general, specific home care services, special care situations, client success stories, payment options, etc.
• The Care Navigator
  Provides services, advocacy, education, speaking, support and long term care planning for caregivers, adults and professional service providers to the aging or individuals frustrated by attempts to navigate the health care system.